Breast Cancer: Are Doctors Too Quick to Make “The Cut”? October 28
When we said “the cut”, we are referring to a mastectomy – and the answer to that question, thankfully, is a no. This is according to a new study conducted by a group that includes Dr. Monica Morrow of Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center.
If and when a mastectomy does occur, it appears that it is not just because a doctor said so; a patient’s preference will also have a lot to do with such a decision.
What this means is that surgeons are not keen on making incisions and performing a mastectomy. On the contrary, if a surgery is to be performed, a majority of doctors will recommend a lumpectomy – a procedure that does not necessitate the immediate removal of the entire breast – over a mastectomy. If a lumpectomy is, indeed, the proper course of action, it can lead to a patient’s eventual cure as many times as a mastectomy can.
Some cancer centers actually report low mastectomy rates, and this is considered as proof that they provide quality care, probably hinting at the fact that doctors are keen on making a thorough assessment and takes care in choosing the appropriate medical action to take; a mastectomy is not considered as the be-all and end-all procedure. When the first surgeon that a breast cancer patient consults immediately advises that she undergo a mastectomy, she is usually urged to go see another doctor and get a second opinion.
As far as mastectomies go, there are patients who simply choose to undergo the procedure based on their own personal preference. It has been mentioned that doctors usually recommend a lumpectomy over a mastectomy more often, but if the first doctor recommends a mastectomy, chances are more often than not that the initial recommendation will be upheld. And then there are women who, despite the fact that their second doctor reversed the recommendation of a mastectomy, still choose to undergo the procedure.
Tags: breast cancer, breast cancer detection, breast cancer treatment, lumpectomy, mastectomy